17:00 - 19:30, International Conference Hall
Plenary Session 6
Identification, Management and Removal of Existing Asbestos
Chairs: Shigeharu Nakachi and Anders Englund
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Heinz Kropiunik
aetas Ziviltechniker GmbH, Austria
ABSTRACT
The Vienna International Centre (VIC) is together with New York and Geneva one of the worldwide 3 headquarters of the United Nations. It consists of 7 buildings with a gross floor area of appr. 340.000 mē and there are about 4.000 persons working within this complex. The UN rented the VIC for 99 years from the republic of Austria as owner of the buildings. During the time of erection of the VIC between 1973 and 1979 asbestos was widely used in construction all over the world. According to Austrian statistical figures in 1971 and 1976 the quantity of manufactured raw asbestos reached an absolute annual peak of appr. 35.000 tons. Nearly 90 % of this quantity went directly or indirectly into the construction sector. In the VIC asbestos was used for fire insulations as sprayed on material, panels and ropes. In 1997 an overview study about the asbestos related situation in the VIC has been worked out, including risk assessement on this issue. Though the actual asbestos impact to the staff was not found as alarming, the Austrian Government decided to set up a management plan for a total asbestos removal in the VIC, as due to the age of the buildings first renovations could be expected gradually. The first draft of the asbestos management plan for the VIC was finished in 2000. The outcome was a comprehensive asbestos register, a in depth feasibility study of logistical variants for the all over asbestos removal project during the buildings keep in operation and finally a pilot removal project in one of the regular floors. The detailed exercise to complete the asbestos management plan started in 2001. During the tendering process for the first phase of the asbestos removal work some removal exercises had to be undertaken due to certain facility management needs. The start for the first phase of the main project is planned for the end of 2004. The whole project should be finished by the end of 2009.